Bombay HC reserves order on pleas of Nawab Malik, Anil Deshmukh to cast vote in MLC polls

Bombay High Court on Thursday reserved the order requests of Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik and former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh for permission to vote in the MLC elections on June 20.

The order will be issued by the court on Friday at 2.30 p.m. Earlier, a special PMLA court in Mumbai denied Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh’s requests for a day’s release to vote in the Rajya Sabha elections.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court, requesting that the Maharashtra government fire cabinet minister Nawab Malik, who is now being held in judicial custody in connection with a money laundering case.

Deshmukh and Malik are now imprisoned in connection with several money-laundering investigations being conducted by the ED.

Deshmukh was arrested on November 1, 2021, in connection with extortion and money laundering charges leveled against him by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.

However, on February 23, the ED detained Minorities Development Minister Malik in connection with a property deal reportedly related to mobster Dawood Ibrahim’s associates.

After more than two decades, the state will see a battle in the Rajya Sabha polls, with seven candidates vying for six seats.

Shiv Sena has submitted two candidates, its MVA partners NCP and Congress have nominated one each, and the opposition BJP has nominated three.